A DAY OF HONOUR FOR PROF ABASS

Festschrift, a series of literary celebration in honour of retired academic researchers at the University of Lagos was a smart choice for honouring Prof. Olayide Abass who turned 70, recently. Tapped from German academic culture, the Festschrift was organised in appreciating of the professor’s contribution to the field of computer science since 1973. To that end, a book titled, titled Olayide Abass: On the Dynamics of an Evolving Knowledge Society was presented to the public as the fourth in the academic series at an event held at the Afe Babalola Auditorium last week.

Based on sample statistics and the evolution of the subject matter to management information system, the work includes five articles from Prof Abass as well as 10 academic contributions from his colleagues and students.

The Festschrift tradition began in November 2002 at the University of Lagos to mark the 70th birthday of the cerebral late Professor Emeritus Ifedayo O. Oladapo. This was followed with the publication of “Ogunye”: Giant Strides in Engineering Education Research and Innovation- a Festschrift in honour of Professor Ayodele Francis Ogunye in 2012. In July 2013, distinguished Professor Vincent Olunloyo was also honoured with Festschrift. Prof. Abass, who was a former Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the institution, thus became the fourth retired UNILAG scholar to be honoured with the literary tradition.

While eulogising Prof. Abass, the former Vice-Chancellor, University of Lagos, and current Vice- Chancellor, Federal University of Nduku-Alike Ikwo (FUNAI), Prof. Ibidapo-Obe remarked that, “Prof. Abass is an astute administrator and wonderful persona. The book is a collection of novel publications that were adequately assessed and peer reviewed to ensure ingenuity and originality.”
The book was also described as a veritable addition to scholarship in science and technology and knowledge development in Nigeria.
Prof. Ibidapo-Obe who reviewed the book also described Prof. Abass as a great strategist.

“He is a realist, simple but sophisticated in all facets of life; a strategist with wide experience and exposure and a compendium of knowledge on contemporary issues, including history particularly Yoruba mythology,” he said.
On his part, Prof. Ogunye told the gathering how Prof Abass defied the school authority during the Kwaku Adadevoh-led administration crisis to give evidence against the school in support of him in the court.

“The news went out like wild fire that Layide had gone to give evidence against the university in my favour and that his career in the university was in jeopardy. They forgot that Layide got his PhD in Computing Science from University of Waterloo and adjudged the best in computing science in North America. Shortly afterwards Layide was appointed Associate Professor and later, Professor. He later became the Dean of his faculty and a Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the university,” Prof Ogunye recalled while adding voice to the playback on fond memories of Prof Abass’ younger days in the academics.

In the same vein, Prof Ralph Akinfeleye from Department of Mass Communication, congratulated Prof Abass for an excellent service to the institution.

A former Vice Chancellor at the University, Prof. Nurudeen Alao, in the foreword to the book, described the honouree as a “bridge builder, providing productive links between generations, university departments and faculties, congregation and council.’’

In his assessment of the intellectual effort, he observed that the work covers the honouree’s intellectual interests.
“The papers in the financial sector with their focus on volatility should remind one of the connections between theoretical physics and economics through Brownian motion principles. All the contributors deserve to be commended,’’ he stated.

While reflecting on the landmark contributions of Prof Abass to higher education in Nigeria, Prof Alao recalled some of the good deeds that brought him closer to the scholar.

“Layide Abass was Deputy, Vice-Chancellor during my second term as Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos. Layide also served with me as consultant to Awolowo Foundation on higher education matters. We had proposed principles by which appropriate and perhaps, optimal numbers of higher institutions can be established instead of reliance on vague and emotional assertions involved in expressions such as ‘too many’ or ‘too few’. We also issued a number of cautionary remarks about the 6-3-3-4 system,’’ he recalled.
He also added that Prof. Abass is one of those who made applied mathematics practical in social life with his pointers in several academic publications.

The book begins with an autobiography by Prof. Abass where he chronicles his childhood days and his rise to a professional and family life. Although his father had six wives and 13 children, he took care of his children until his death. But Prof Abass has been married for 41 years with a wife and blessed with six children.

In 2003, he was honoured with the National Award of the Officer of the Order of Niger (OON) by the federal government and became a fellow of the British Computer Society the same year.

By Yinka Olatunbosun